No Super Bowl Shuffle for the Bears yet - just a 'Boom' and 'Club Dub' parties

CHICAGO – When Bears safety Eddie Jackson intercepted a Matt Stafford fourth-quarter pass and darted 41 yards for what would become the game-winning touchdown on Thanksgiving Day, members of the defence gathered for a beautifully choreographed end zone celebration.

It looked like a re-creation of the Super Bowl Shuffle performed by Walter Payton, Willie Gault, Mike Singletary, Jim McMahon and the rest of the 1985 Bears.

But it was not.

“It was a tribute to Motown,” Prince Amukamara, the veteran cornerback who was out, front and centre of the dance team, told Postmedia this week. “We were playing Detroit. And we did a Temptations-style thing.”

That victory was the Bears season-high fifth in a row. They lost the following week, then rattled off four more wins to finish the season with the 12-4 record they bring into Sunday’s NFC wildcard game against the defending champion Philadelphia Eagles at Soldier Field.

Mainly because of their defence – which, if not the best in the league, then certainly Top 3 – oddsmakers made the Bears the weekend’s biggest favourite. Should they respond accordingly, next up is a divisional round meeting in Los Angeles against the Rams, who they shut down 15-6 on Dec. 9.

But not even a victory over the Rams would have these Bears doing a Super Bowl Shuffle.

“If that time comes, we’d be fools not to do a re-enactment of something like that and give tribute to those guys,” said Amukamara. “They were so great.”

And when is “that time?”

“If we actually won the NFC championship and knew we were going to The Game,” said Amukamara. “That’s when I’d feel comfortable.”

In the meantime, the Bears are taking it one dance at a time.

After wins this season, their locker room turns into “Club Dub”. There’s loud music, lights, even a disco ball. And everybody dances. Players and coaches.

“Dancing puts you in a good mood and it’s a way for people to celebrate,” rookie head coach Matt Nagy said earlier this season.

“Club Dub” is inspired by a conversation rookie head coach Matt Nagy had in April with Chicago Cubs manager Joe Madden, who instilled in him the importance of savouring each victory.

The dance parties have become very special to the Bears.

“Very much fun,” said Amukamara. “Especially because it’s taking guys out of their comfort zone. Some guys on our team, they don’t usually dance and stuff like that. But when we do everything together, the spotlight is kind of shared.

“In this game, it seems like it’s all work, work, work and you don’t really get to have fun. Some people call it the No Fun League. But I feel like it’s changing, with the celebrations we are allowed to have. I think coach, that’s just his personality. As long as we work and take care of business, I think that’s where he likes to let us enjoy ourselves a little bit … if he sees that we can handle it.

“If we’re an immature group, and show that we can’t handle it, I don’t think we would be having Club Dub. I don’t think he would be putting defensive players on offence, and running plays. But I think because we’ve shown and reassured him that we can handle it, and I think that’s why we’ve been getting those kind of privileges.”

Nagy is the consensus pick to be named the AP NFL Coach of the Year for transforming the Bears from a 5-11 team to a contender. He knows his x’s and o’s; he’s especially versed on the offensive side of things, after studying at the school of Andy Reid.

But it’s also clear to an outsider that he has an important tangible that can’t be taught: personality.

The players genuinely love him.

Nagy started another tradition in the Bears locker room. He kicks off “Club Dub” by raising of his hand in the air and then, after looking around at the players, throwing it towards the floor with a loud “Boom!”

Backup quarterback Chase Daniel took to Twitter asking fans to do a large group “Boom” at the start of Sunday’s game.

“That just happened organically,” said Nagy. “I think it was the Detroit game. Just kinda caught fire. Now we do it. Now they’re asking me for it, so I’ve got to do it. Now I’m starting to have fun with it.”

Nagy has also embraced the history of the Bears. He says it’s easy when you’re talking about a “founding franchise in this great city.” He has known since he was a kid growing up in New Jersey that the citizens here like their team to have a good defence. It goes back to Dick Butkus. To 1985. To 1986, when the defence was even better than ’85. To the early 2000s, under Lovie Smith.

Thanks to the defence, which allowed a league-low average of 17.7 points per game, the Bears didn’t lose a game by more than a converted touchdown all season. It’s the first time since that’s happened in Chicago since 1963.

Meanwhile, Nagy likes watching this current Bears defence more than anyone.

“Some of my favourite times, I like seeing the guys the way they have fun in practice on that side of the ball.,” he said. “They’re always flying around, they’re always communicating. It’s pretty neat because then you get to see it in a game, and it’s amped up a little faster and means more.

“This defence that we’re all apart of right now is one I haven’t been around before. We have that. It’s in a special category. Now is when we want that, going into the playoffs.”

The Bears give up a lot of experience to the defending champs, but they feel more important is their preparation and their execution on game day.

“The most important experience we’ve had is playing in the games that we’ve played in this season,” said Amukamara, who was with the Giants when they won the Super Bowl in 2011. “The tough ones, being down 14 in Arizona. Or having a lead and losing it, like we did in the first week against Green Bay. But I’d be a fool not to say that a playoff is a whole new season, and the Eagles aren’t the same team as they were in the regular season. We know we’re going to get their best, and they’re going to get ours.”

About to make his coaching playoff debut, Nagy is showing no signs of anxiousness or nervousness. Asked if he thought he’d have trouble sleeping Saturday night, he said no chance.

“Sometimes it’s more for me throughout the week, it can get a little choppy, but I fall asleep real easy Saturday nights,” he said. “I love it. No one knocks on my door. I just go to bed and sleep. Wake up and go”

He also loves the demeanour of his Bears as they approach the playoffs and a meeting with the most recent Super Bowl winner. Nagy said the Bears had their best week of practice leading into it.

“Our team is loose in a good way right now,” he said. “That hasn’t changed. We’ve been that way all year long. It’s not a cockiness. It’s not an arrogance. It’s just a confidence.

“Even though we’re young, we have just enough vets that have controlled how high they get.”

And on Sunday night, the Bears expect to have another “Club Dub” dance party in their locker room at Soldier Field. Kicked off, of course, by Nagy and his “Boom.”

This Week's Flyers

Comments

We encourage all readers to share their views on our articles and blog posts. We are committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion, so we ask you to avoid personal attacks, and please keep your comments relevant and respectful. If you encounter a comment that is abusive, click the "X" in the upper right corner of the comment box to report spam or abuse. We are using Facebook commenting. Visit our FAQ page for more information.